This post is an articulation of feelings I have been mulling over about
internet media and culture, a subject I have no academic qualification to speak
on but have strong feelings about. I don't intend for this to be inflammatory
or contrarian but if it helps start a discussion I'll be happy. My only
intention is to contribute to an important conversation. I appreciate you
taking the time to read it and hope you get something out of it.

Definition

Wikipedia (I trust it, don't you?) has an entry on self-censorship which
starts:

Self-censorship is the act of censoring or classifying one's own blog, book,
film, or other forms of media. This is done out of fear of, or deference to,
the sensibilities or preferences (actual or perceived) of others and without
overt pressure from any specific party or institution of authority.
Self-censorship is often practiced by film producers, film directors,
publishers, news anchors, journalists, musicians, and other kinds of authors
including individuals who use social media.

You're welcome to look at a few definitions which are more broad (Cambridge
def, Oxford def). I actually like using the Wikipedia entry, so I'll be
using it in this piece.

There are a few highlights of the Wiki entry that I want to point out:

Self-censorship can be caused by real or perceived sensibilities.

It is done out of fear or deference (submission/respect for others wishes).

It is mostly a voluntary action practiced by creators.

It is practiced by individuals producing everything from "big media" to
social media.

I like these four points because they set up a conflict I want to
explore: the Creator versus the Consumer.

Consumer

The consumer watches, reads, or listens to something and when they find a
discrepancy which does not fit their mental model for what that media should
do, they have the option to point it out.

"This character is a crude portrayal of bi-sexuality."

"This line was offensive to the elderly."

"This scene triggered me because I was almost killed in a car accident."

The consumer points it out directly with the creator, to the creator publicly,
or to the public and not directly with the creator at all. This archetype is
almost always acting in the interest of a racial, gendered, sexual, or social
minority and often they do so on behalf of minorities which they themselves
are not apart of.

As a feminist I agree with the consumer’s intentions and with each individual
consumer who voice their concerns. Just like a writer doesn't improve without
feedback so to a content creator cannot mindfully make more respectful work
without being made aware of the mistakes they have made. Each individual
consumer, with exceptions of course, is a good person doing the right thing.

Creator

The creator wants to share an idea with the world. They have the burning urge
to write, blog, podcast, televise, film, tweet, tumblr, paint, compose, etc.
Their intentions are also (usually) good. This archetype wants to create
something great and share it with the world, or at the very least some
sub-culture they identify with.

When the creator creates something they inevitably put a part of themselves
into that thing. When a consumer points out what that something should
have done differently they are often a small voice in a hurricane of feedback.
This hurricane is often filled with positive feedback but the silent majority
that appreciate something often say nothing while the loud minority openly
share their thoughts and criticisms. Those who speak up are also known to
forget that a human being is going to read what they just hit send on.
Even if the feedback is ultimately constructive the content creator is known
to only see the bad and fight to see the good. As a result of this personal
shit-storm for the creator, continuing to create becomes a fight against both
the creativity but also against their fans who care enough to give them that
feedback, but deliver it in a hurtful or stressful way. There have been many
stories in which a content creator who wanted to put themselves out there was
forced to pull back because of circumstances like these.

This is best explained with an example, so here is an expert from an article
on The A.V. Club:

The online backlash was apparently quick, powerful, and seemingly coming
from two different directions: â€™shippers, irritated and outraged by what
they saw as Zuke pushing the agenda of her preferred pairing, and others
who accused the Cartoon Network show of engaging in â€œqueer baiting.â€
Among other definitions, the term refers to TV and film producers
introducing perceived sexual tension between two same-sex characters with
no intent of ever bringing the relationship to fruition, and is decried by
critics as a manipulative use of sexuality in order to draw in viewers and
attention.

The criticism and attackers were apparently strong and frequent enough that
Zuke decided to shut down her social media presence, and close herself off
to â€œthousands of people who think because I work on a TV show that I owe
them myself all the time.â€ Her account has since been deleted, but a
screenshot of her last tweets is currently making the rounds online.

In this instance the writer of a very progressive kids show (which I proudly
watch with my other adult friends) was ridiculed for... what? Not being
perfect? Not flawlessly pushing every equality agenda at once? Ultimately it
may have been held to a higher standard but to what end?

Modern creators are being pushed and prodded by tens to hundreds to thousands
of tiny voices saying "This isn't right, do this better." As a result both
new and experienced creators feel a pressure to craft something which is
perfect and devoid of that which can be critiqued and judged. A whole
generation of writers, directors, and story tellers are afraid to say
anything because it might be panned for it's imperfections and/or
perceived agenda. The unfortunate part is that many forget that your work
will be critiqued no matter what you say. In twenty years we'll be looking
back at 2016 and be flabbergasted by our ignorance about... I don't know --
laugh tracks. The point being that we are not perfect creatures and so too
our creators are imperfect. We collectively acknowledge that, yet the creator
is punished harshly when they make a mistake, receiving a punishment which
does not match the crime.

Conclusion

The main takeaway from all of this is that we should try to be mindful of the
creator's imperfections when pointing them out. Time and time again the mass
of the internet is able to devastate the creators we have and scare the
creator's we don't. We all say stupid things that we don't remember are
offensive or haven't yet been informed is offensive; whether somebody said an
offensive thing to an audience of millions or an audience of one we shouldn't
criticize them just because we can. A friend of mine put it pretty well when
he said 'On this road to social justice we're not all on the same page, let's
cut them some slack.'

I understand that I am saying this to nobody in particular. The problems,
fear, and weight of the internet are not something I have experience in;
they are a concern all the same. I am not well known and I have not created
nor been thrown into any shit-storms I talk about. Those close to me have
experienced this trauma and they warn others like an oracle warns adventurers
not to go into the dark forest. I understand that self-censorship is not a new
problem by any means, but since the dawn of time there have been
individuals scared of change for completely rational reasons.

Be mindful of what you say and what you do not say on the internet. As a fan
you have more influence than you think over the media you love. Everything is
created by people just like you. Before you say something negative remember
that a person will read it, so meditate on it before hitting send.
Imagine reading it in the sea of everything else that person is dealing with.
Individuals should hold each other responsible but that doesn't mean you need
to hurt them because they offended you. I wont advise you on when or how
to act because that is your responsibility. If you find something truly
offensive of course you should tell the person who made it, but also remember
that you are in a unique position to be judge, jury, and executioner, even
if it is only on a small scale. Having this power, meter your response to
match the crime and think before you act.

We are all people. We all want to do the right thing. I don't mean to
discourage consumers from voicing their concerns, just to avoid punishing
creators for imperfection. In the world there is no good and bad only people
making the best of their situation with positive intentions.